1. The First Day

As I watched Jasper and Emmett wrestle in the woods at five in the morning, I realized today was going to be a strange day. I knew better than any human could, after all I can see the future. Well, really only glimpses of it, but anyway, I was sure today was going to be a bad day. My family and I were in yet another high school, this time I was a junior and Jasper was a senior. I absolutely hated being in two separate grades, yet Carlisle and Esme insisted I look younger than him just because of how short I am and how tall he is. Yet, we had to stay inconspicuous and being a Cullen I had to agree. Jasper had once started to insist that I move up a grade, but Carlisle stayed firm.

When I, bored of the wrestling match- Jasper was going to win, I knew this, stepped inside our immaculate home, I rushed upstairs to get dressed for school. The others, besides Rosalie might not care how they look but the two of us sure do. When I made it to the bedroom Jasper and I share, I could tell Rosalie had been there, probably snooping around my closet hoping to find something to wear. I could tell by her scent she had also taken some of my perfume. I loved Rosalie and everything, but still sometimes, I wished she would just ask before taking. I sauntered over to my closet hoping to find what she had taken and I found to my dismay that she had taken what I was planning to where that day- a DKNY jean skirt. I knew it wouldn’t even fit her, but it was too late now and I couldn’t say anything without causing an uproar. What, in our house, would start as a small disagreement would quickly turn into a fight with Jasper on my side and Emmett on Rose’s. Edward would always be on my side, but he didn’t want to get into fights with Emmett so he stayed out of it. When this happened, we were not late for school, because Edward would just go even faster in the Volvo and we would be there in an inhumanly amount of time.

“Great,” I muttered as I looked inside my closet once more. I had some other clothes that I liked okay so I was able to quickly find a pair of jeans. I also wore a T-shirt Jasper had gotten me at the Grand Canyon which I had promised to wear. I put on my make-up and found, as I rushed down the steps, today I was later than even Rosalie.

“Finally,” Emmett jokingly grumbled fighting a smile that was trying to sneak its way onto his face. I also noticed Rosalie wasn’t even wearing the skirt that she had taken from me, just like I had known, though I could tell she was still wearing my perfume. Rose and I started talking about what to do after school. Rose suggested shopping at the mall in Olympia. I seconded that and I could see the look of pain from our sometime- husbands. Edward just looked amused, smiling in that way that seemed to taunt the two. “And after school, Jasper and I are wrestling again. We are not going to the mall!”

The five of us walked over to Edward’s Volvo and Carlisle was just leaving in his Mercedes. Rose ran over probably, to ask once again if she could just drive her BMW once to school. When she came back to the group no one even had to ask her. We all knew her shiny read convertible was never going to be driven to Forks High School. Not trying to push her, I didn’t mention the clothes that she had taken. I know how hot-headed she can get when she thinks everyone is trying to cheat her out of something and plus, Esme was watching us out her window. I didn’t want to upset my mother.

When we made it to the Volvo the vision I had had earlier popped into my head once again. It was of Edward and a clumsy brunette girl. They were sitting in what I knew was the bio lab next to each other though neither looked like they wanted to be there. From Edward you could feel hunger, longing, and lust. From the girl you felt confusion. The girl spread out her hair in a sort of blockade between them, spreading her scent back into the air.

Edward looked over at me from his seat and whispered, “I don’t even have a lab partner.” I shrugged and threw myself into the conversation with more enthusiasm then I normally would. Jasper knew this and kept throwing strange glances my way.

We made it to Fork’s High School in record time, for a human anyway and Jasper pulled me aside before I headed towards my first period class. “What did Edward say to you? Did you have another vision?” He asked before I could answer his first questions. “What was it about?”

“Hold on for a second.” I said laughing happily. “I’ll tell you what happened from the beginning. Today as we were getting into the Volvo I had the strangest vision.” I paused as he looked hungrily at some human teacher that was passing by. “We just hunted this morning. Can you please control your hunger? I know it’s hard.” I grabbed his hand and pulled him toward his first class. “Anyway, my vision was about Edward and this strange brunette girl. I’ve never seen her before but it seemed like she was his lab partner. When it ended Edward told me that he didn’t even have a lab partner. That’s all.” I smiled as he comprehended this. “We’d better get to our classes. Bye.”

The two of us parted and I headed towards my first class, bio. The day passed uneventfully until lunch when the five of us gathered at our lunch table to have “lunch” together. Really Edward just processed our thoughts, I had visions, Jasper longed for blood, Rosalie adored herself, and Emmett amused himself. We didn’t have anything better to do for an hour. When I was in line to get “yummy food” as the sign put it, I saw the girl. It was the brunette girl from my vision. She had tripped over a trash can walking with another human girl whose wild hair bounced around on her head. This was Isabella Swan, the police chief’s daughter. Edward turned towards me halfway across the room but I blocked my thoughts. I figured that he didn’t need to know this and since my visions could change so easily, I hoped that he never would see this girl. The girl seemed normal enough for a human, except for being so klutzy.

I started thinking about how I was worried about how much Jasper wanted human blood and I saw to my relief that he turned concerned towards Jasper and searched his thoughts. I suddenly felt comforted about Jasper not hurting any humans and I knew he was affecting my feelings. I threw him a semi-nasty look as I bought an apple and soda. The lunch lady just took my money and turned toward the next girl in line. I knew that she thought I was anorexic, being so small and not eating food. I knew this because a laughing Edward had once told me making the rest of my family, too, start laughing. I could see Edward in his seat snickering. I glared at him again as Emmett, looked up at where Edward was laughing and start chuckling. I turned to Emmett and glared at him for a lengthy amount of time as I sat down at our table.

After I had sat down I asked Edward how Jasper was holding up. We had these discussions in our minds frequently and were good at them. He frowned inconspicuously. Is there any danger? I asked him next in my mind. I scanned my future, trying to see for myself, but Edward shook his head slowly. Let me know if it gets too bad. Thanks for doing this. I relaxed back into my seat, watching Jasper with as much concentration as would be normal for a high-school girl looking at her boyfriend. Suddenly, he tensed up and Edward kicked him.

“Sorry” Jasper muttered as Edward shrugged.

I tried to shorten his embarrassment. “You weren’t going to do anything. I could see that.” This was a lie and I knew Edward knew this. “It helps to think of them of as people. Her name is Whitney. She has a baby sister she adores. Her mother invited Esme to that garden party, do you remember?” I asked.

“I know who she is.” He turned from me to stare out one of the small windows. I knew Edward would want him to hunt soon and I was obligated to agree.

I sighed and stood up and threw away my tray. I knew when Jasper had had enough encouragement. The two of us know each other’s moods perfectly.

As soon as class ended, I headed towards the Volvo. Jasper was already there, trying to get away from the longing that I knew suffocated him many times. Soon, Emmett joined us and we waited for the others. It was normal for Rose to be late, she insisted on ‘freshening up’ in the restroom before coming to the Volvo. However, Edward was always quickly out of school. He insisted it was like purgatory and didn’t want to spend any more time then he had to in it. Jasper told Emmett that he was not in the mood for a rematch. Emmett was fuming mad. We stood in silence, waiting for the others. After a few minutes, Rose came skipping out of the main building, looking longingly at a group of girls with one in the center. I just knew Rose would love to be the most popular girl in our school, but she knew she couldn’t be.

“Hey, where’s Edward?” she asked about ten yards away. We all heard her perfectly and we just shrugged. She walked over to where we were waiting and started talking to Emmett about stupid and worthless topics.

The door unlocked automatically and we all slid in. We knew Edward would be there in just a second, considering that he was able to unlock the Volvo. Edward slid inside he was gasping like he was suffocating.

“Edward”, I asked. I was concerned for him. He never looked like this. He shook his head at me.

“What the hell happened to you?” Emmett asked.

Instead of answering, Edward reversed the car and started out the parking lot. Before he hit the curb, we were going seventy miles per hour. Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper all turned to stare at me. I shrugged. I didn’t have any idea what was going through his mind. I looked ahead for him. We were both surprised when I saw him leaving, going to Tanya’s clan.

“You’re leaving?”I whispered. Everyone turned toward Edward.

“Am I?” he hissed through his teeth.

His resolve wavered and another choice spun his future in a worse direction. “Oh.” Isabella dead.

“Oh.” The picture grew more specific. Edward stalking Isabella through her own house, letting the scent pull him forward.

“Stop,” he groaned.

“Sorry” I whispered. I hadn’t meant to make him upset. The vision changed again. An empty highway with trees coated in snow lining it, going by at two hundred miles per hour. “I’ll miss you, no matter how short a time you’re gone.” We were almost to the turn before our house. “Drop us off here. You should tell Carlisle yourself.” He listened to me and the car stopped suddenly.

Emmett, Rose and Jasper got out in silence I knew as soon as Edward drove away, they would make me explain. I touched my brother’s shoulder.

“You will do the right thing. She’s Charlie Swan’s only family. It would kill him, too.” I silently murmured to him.

“Yes,” he agreed, but with what I cannot say.

I slid out to join the others, my eyebrows pulling together in anxiety. The four of us ran into the forest and back to our home. I let myself fall behind the others. I wanted to prolong explaining what happened for as long as possible, but still too quickly I made it to our house. Through the glass window I could see my reflection. Small and pixie-like with my spikes all over my head, I looked concerned. I could see, also, the living room where my siblings and Esme had gathered. Stupid Emmett had probably called her down from her work, saying Edward was gone.

I opened the side door and walked inside. I threw down my rain jacket and book bag at the foot of the steps and glided into the living room. The four were already seated so I sat next to Jasper. Without them asking, I started the story with my vision, up to what I knew.

When I was done, they all just sat, dumbstruck and I picked myself up and ran into my and Jasper’s room. I could hear someone following me and I sat on the leather couch in the room. The DKNY skirt was sitting on my bed. Something that had seemed so humongous this morning, in comparison was nothing. Jasper sat down on the couch without any hesitation. He threw his long arms around me and hugged me, deeply. If I could cry, I would have been weeping, ruining Jasper’s shirt. Instead, I hugged him tighter, loving him even more.

I am not sure how long I sat there, being comforted but the strength of Jasper’s arms; I just know I felt like I would never be completely myself again. I loved Edward, not as Jasper and I love each other, but as a brother. I still did not understand what sort of power this weak, clumsy, human girl had over my brother. Was there pain? Couldn’t he read her mind-know that she would not hurt him. If it wasn’t for my family, I might have left too, gone after him, but I knew Esme couldn’t handle that much disappointment from, us her children. After all, when her real child had died, she had thrown herself off a cliff. Then there was Carlisle, I owed him too much, letting me become a member of his family, though none of us knew my past, not even myself. Really, the only member of my family that I could do without, would be Rose, she could be so stupid and self-absorbed sometimes-no actually, most times. I considered all my choices as I sat, engulfed by Jasper when I decided I knew what we must do. We had to keep up our charade, no one could know what was going on with Edward, and after all he would be back home soon. Tanya’s clan would encourage him to come home faster; he hated how that honey blond vampire would come after him.

Tomorrow, I decided, I will tell the administration that Edward had a fever and can’t come back to school for an amount of time. How long should I say? Two weeks, probably, that would give him plenty of time to figure out that one human girl could not hurt him. I unwound from my love’s arms and looked him in the eye. Quickly, I told him what I had decided and knew that my family would too know, since I could sense Rose’s presence behind the door.

When I was done, Jasper told me he needed to go hunting, would I go with him? Of course I told him I would and the two of us ran to our favorite local hunting spot. It was by where on stormy nights, my family and I would play baseball. There was just something about it that made me always feel comfortable no matter what was happening. This was what I needed what with Edward gone and all. I needed to be calm.

When we made it to the field, Jasper ran into a small cluster of trees, I could tell he would catch a deer and be back soon. I sat down on the soft earth, feeling as human as I possibly could. I wanted to cry, I wanted to cry harder than the rain that pounded down on Forks day in and day out. Yet, I couldn’t. I would never be able to just sit down and cry like I wanted to.

After what seemed minutes, though it was really hours, Jasper came back to me with more color then I was used to for the last two weeks. I hugged him silently and I could feel him tapping into my feelings, making me feel calm and comfortable. He knew this was what I needed.

Slowly, the sun started to appear along the horizon and the two of us stood and ran home, slowly, for us. When we got back, Emmett met us at the door. “He will come back, won’t he? I mean, who’s going to judge our wrestling matches?”

“Emmett, its okay to admit you miss him. I miss him. I can’t see him coming home, yet though I am sure that he will.” I could tell Esme was listening, sitting at the dining room table with Carlisle and Rose. I knew that if we could cry we would, but we couldn’t. We had to get ready for school. We had to keep up the charade. We had to be Cullens.